We are going up!
Relive our promotion campaign as we break down the 2024/25 season, recalling every twist and turn...
August
It was a mixed bag to start the season, as the Valiants looked to adapt to life in League Two. A brace from captain Ben Garrity gave Vale an opening-day victory at Salford City, one which would ultimately prove to be our only league win in August, though another triumph over the Ammies – by the same scoreline, this time in the Vertu Trophy – provided a welcome boost. A heavy defeat at Barrow and narrow loss at home to Doncaster Rovers represented an early reminder that bouncing back at the first time of asking wouldn’t be plain sailing...
August results
W Salford (A) 0-2 – Sky Bet League Two
L Barrow (A) 3-2 – Carabao Cup
D Tranmere (H) 0-0 – Sky Bet League Two
W Salford (A) 0-2 – Vertu Trophy
L Barrow (A) 4-0 – Sky Bet League Two
L Doncaster (H) 2-3 – Sky Bet League Two
September
With cobwebs dusted off and new faces beginning to settle, few would have predicted that a penalty shoot-out win over Wolverhampton Wanderers’ U21s in the Trophy – one which included Lorent Tolaj and Ronan Curtis’ first goals in black and white - would mark the start of an unbeaten run that would last until November. Tolaj was on the scoresheet again as Vale impressively saw off Newport County, with Jayden Stockley opening his account for the club, courtesy of a well-taken double.
A first home league win of the season soon followed, before a dramatic late draw at Accrington Stanley extended our unbeaten run to four matches, with both Vale goals scored in injury time via Stockley and loanee Antwoine Hackford. Darren Moore’s men rounded off the month with a hard-fought home victory over Swindon Town to move into the Play-Off places, and the Gaffer was deservedly named League Two Manager of the Month a fortnight later.
September results
W Wolves (H) 2-2 (won on penalties) - Vertu Trophy
W Newport (A) 1-4 – Sky Bet League Two
W Chesterfield (H) 1-0 – Sky Bet League Two
D Accrington (A) 2-2 – Sky Bet League Two
W Swindon (H) 2-1 – Sky Bet League Two
October
If September had been impressive, the weeks that followed really saw Vale get into a confident stride, with five consecutive wins including back-to-back 1-0 victories at Notts County and MK Dons respectively. But for Samson Tovide’s 90th-minute equaliser for Colchester United at Vale Park, it would have been the perfect month for the Valiants, but nonetheless, by the time Halloween rolled around, Moore’s men were certainly striking fear into their League Two opponents.
The final game of the month, a pulsating 3-2 win over fellow promotion hopefuls AFC Wimbledon, was perhaps the pick of the bunch, as we survived a late scare of our own to come out on top...
October results
D Colchester (H) 1-1 – Sky Bet League Two
W Notts County (A) 0-1 – Sky Bet League Two
W MK Dons (A) 0-1 – Sky Bet League Two
W Fleetwood (H) 3-1 – Sky Bet League Two
W Harrogate (A) 0-1 – Sky Bet League Two
W Wimbledon (H) 3-2 – Sky Bet League Two
November
Vale started November with a break from league action, but suffered defeat in the Emirates FA Cup at the hands of League One side Barnsley, led by former Valiants boss Darrell Clarke. A surprise loss against Gillingham then brought an end to our 10-match league unbeaten run, before a bonus-point victory over Wrexham AFC in the Vertu Trophy – which secured passage to the knockout stage - and narrow late win at Morecambe put things back on track.
No fewer than 10,022 supporters packed out Vale Park when Crewe Alexandra came to town at the end of the month, with Academy graduate Jack Shorrock’s incredible volley helping earn a valuable point - and later being voted the club’s Goal of the Season.
November results
L Barnsley (H) 1-3 – Emirates FA Cup
L Gillingham (A) 1-0 – Sky Bet League Two
W Wrexham (H) 1-1 (won on penalties) - Vertu Trophy
W Morecambe (A) 0-1 – Sky Bet League Two
D Crewe (H) 1-1 – Sky Bet League Two
December
With temperatures dropping, Vale’s previous hot streak cooled somewhat in December, with only a stunning late leveller from Curtis at Cheltenham Town, and 1-0 win at Doncaster in the Trophy providing something to shout about on the pitch over the festive period. Stockley’s ‘ghost goal’ at EFL newcomers Bromley might have provided further cause for celebration had it been awarded, but instead the Valiants would have to wait until early January to taste maximum points again.
A disappointing defeat at Grimsby would see the calendar year end on a sour note, but it was that result which would ultimately provide a galvanising turning point going into the new year. Off the pitch, the club once again opened the doors of Vale Park to the local community on Christmas Day, giving an opportunity for those in need to enjoy the festivities and providing some timely perspective to round off a true rollercoaster of a 12 months.
December results
D Cheltenham (A) 1-1 – Sky Bet League Two
L Walsall (H) 0-1 – Sky Bet League Two
W Doncaster (A) 0-1 – Vertu Trophy
D Bromley (A) 0-0 – Sky Bet League Two
D Carlisle (H) 0-0 – Sky Bet League Two
L Bradford (A) 2-1 – Sky Bet League Two
L Grimsby (A) 3-0 – Sky Bet League Two
January
With the new year came new hope for Vale, as we enjoyed an unbeaten month to rekindle our promotion charge. Eight points from a possible 12 helped to steady the ship, with a 2-1 win at Doncaster on Moore’s return to his former club the catalyst for the upturn in form that would follow.
New signing Jaheim Headley marked his home debut with a winning goal as the Valiants twice came from behind to beat Newport, securing a first ‘double’ of the campaign in the process. It was an altogether different story as Vale ended the month at Chesterfield, taking the lead through Stockley early on before seeing out almost the entire second half with 10 men to put another important point on the board.
January results
D Cheltenham (H) 0-0 – Sky Bet League Two
W Doncaster (A) 1-2 – Sky Bet League Two
W Newport (H) 3-2 – Sky Bet League Two
D Chesterfield (A) 1-1 – Sky Bet League Two
February
Vale’s undefeated streak continued throughout February, as did the need for resilience, with victory over Accrington at Vale Park coming despite a man-advantage for the visitors. After exiting the Vertu Trophy at the hands of a familiar foe in Wrexham, Tolaj’s late equaliser to secure a 3-3 draw at Swindon underlined the never-say-die attitude that had begun to define the team.
The Valiants simply kept on plugging away, and reaped the rewards again in a big clash against Notts County thanks to another dramatic goal, this time from Curtis in front of the Sky Sports cameras. A hard-earned win over Salford completed the month, extending our run without a loss to eight games in the league. Things were now beginning to heat up.
February results
W Accrington (H) 2-1 – Sky Bet League Two
L Wrexham (H) 1-4 – Vertu Trophy
D Swindon (A) 3-3 – Sky Bet League Two
W Notts County (H) 1-0 – Sky Bet League Two
W Salford (H) 2-1 – Sky Bet League Two
March
Postponements over the winter period meant March would be a busy one for the Valiants, with as many as eight league games to contest throughout the course of the month. Three consecutive draws saw Curtis and Tolaj come to the fore again, and defeat at Colchester would be a tough pill to swallow, after Vale had appeared to have staged another late fight back through loanee Rico Richards.
Timing, both good and bad, was becoming crucial to our campaign, and the welcome return of Garrity from injury provided a huge boost, as the skipper stepped off the bench to cap an important 3-0 win over MK Dons, before Curtis’ last-gasp winner against Morecambe made it back-to-back home wins.
Defeat at home to Barrow – despite the Valiants hitting the woodwork four times in the second half alone - confirmed the Bluebirds’ status as the season’s bogey team, but thankfully the result would prove just a temporary blip, with Stockley’s late winner in front of a sold-out away end at Crewe acting as a springboard for what was to come...
March results
D Tranmere (A) 1-1 – Sky Bet League Two
D Harrogate (H) 0-0 – Sky Bet League Two
D Fleetwood (A) 1-1 – Sky Bet League Two
L Colchester (A) 2-1 – Sky Bet League Two
W MK Dons (H) 3-0 – Sky Bet League Two
W Morecambe (H) 1-0 – Sky Bet League Two
L Barrow (H) 0-1 – Sky Bet League Two
W Crewe (A) 0-1 – Sky Bet League Two
April
Having made the perfect start to the run-in, there was a sense that the games which followed had the potential to be make or break, and it was here that Moore’s big-match management propelled Vale into true contention. Bradford’s visit to Vale Park brought with it the season’s best home atmosphere to that point, as well as a performance to match, with Tolaj and Mitch Clark scoring superb goals to earn a massive win.
It would be a tough act to follow, but follow it we did, coming out on top of a topsy-turvy contest at then-leaders Walsall to go back to the top of the table in some style. ‘Pack the Park’ was the message from there, and almost 11,000 supporters roared the Valiants to a resounding 5-0 victory over Bromley, as Vale again achieved the enviable feat of beating all other 91 English teams in league action.
Then, a blip – a bump in the road – with disappointing defeat at a Carlisle United side fighting for their lives, when a missed penalty in the last minute denied Vale a point, before Play-Off-chasing Grimsby came to town. This time, there would be a more than 11,000 inside Vale Park, and the late goal would come, as Jesse Debrah earned the Valiants a vital point to leave us second with two games to go.
Vale went into the penultimate game against AFC Wimbledon knowing that a win, coupled with Bradford dropping points against Doncaster in the other early kick-off, would seal promotion. Vale supporters won’t need a reminder when it comes to what happened next, with that quickfire double from Stockley and Headley in front of the away end sure to be replayed time and time again. Promotion: secured!
April results
W Bradford (H) 2-0 – Sky Bet League Two
W Walsall (A) 2-3 – Sky Bet League Two
W Bromley (H) 5-0 – Sky Bet League Two
L Carlisle (A) - Sky Bet League Two
D Grimsby (H) - Sky Bet League Two
W Wimbledon (A) 0-2 - Sky Bet League Two
May
With promotion in the bag, the Valiants returned home to bring down the curtain on our promotion campaign, and celebrate at Vale Park. A 1-0 defeat against Gillingham saw us end the season with defeat, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the 13,661 supporters inside the ground. It was our biggest crowd since March 1998, and one which took our average for the season to well over 7,500. Vale legend and current Gillingham boss, Gareth Ainsworth, kissed the turf and received a fantastic reception on his return, but the day was all about our promotion heroes.
It’s been a season to remember!
May results
L Gillingham (H) 0-1 – Sky Bet League Two